League Rules/Code of Conduct 2019-20

Cornwall S&R League Rules 2019/2020

Scope of Rules

These rules apply to all Cornwall Squash Leagues. Note: No Racketball League at present.

Qualification

The Cornwall Squash Leagues are open to teams from Clubs who are fully paid-up members of Cornwall Squash & Racketball Association (CSRA).

Entry

Team entries for the next season have to be submitted the league secretary before the end of July.(this is to enable the fixtures to be produced and published during August).

New Teams wishing to enter the County League will be expected to start in the bottom division. This may be waived if the County feel that the applicant team is particularly strong and therefore detrimental to the competitive nature of that division.

Team entry fees must be paid before the season commences or by the specified date emailed to all clubs and captains. Payment before the season commences will be at the discounted amount. Team captains are responsible for paying team and player registration fees.

Code of Conduct

All volunteer members of CCSRA Committee and Club Link Reps, our WO, our coaches and their assistants in schools or with involvement in junior programmes in our clubs, our volunteer organisers, parents, helpers at all tournaments and events, our captains and players of all teams competing in our leagues and knock-out competition are expected to behave well and not bring our sport into disrepute.

A CCSRA Safeguarding policy with key statements is in place as agreed by the Committee. All those involved in squash and racketball in Cornwall need to be aware of this policy and act accordingly with the explicit aim of safeguarding all children and adults at risk.

League

Structure

The league is split into an appropriate number of divisions (two for 2018/19).

There will be a near equal or equal number of teams in each division.

Team positions within the leagues will be based upon the previous season’s final standings.

All teams will play every other team in its division at least twice – once at home and once away.

A team will consist of a minimum of 4 registered players (or unregistered reserves playing for the first time) from a club. There is no maximum number of registered players per team.

Playing Season

The league season will run in two halves – from September through to December, the AUTUMN LAEGUE and January to April, the SPRING LEAGUE, with a full round of home and away legs in each half. The first full round of matches are to be played by Christmas and the second by Easter.

There will be two rounds of promotions and relegations during the season – one at the end of each half of the overall season.

If scheduling permits, there will be ‘gap weeks’ for postponed fixtures.

Promotion/relegation

The winner of each division will be the team that has accumulated the most game points and bonus points in each of half the season. Each half will be treated as a league with the winners receiving a trophy and relegation/promotion between Div 1 and 2.

In the event of a tie, the leading team shall be the one that has won the most fixtures. Should this not resolve the issue, then the results from the matches played by the teams against each other will count.

The bottom team from division 1 will be relegated each half. The top team from division 2 will be promoted at Christmas and in May. Winning Div 2 teams are allowed to decline promotion if they give a good reason.

Overall Champions

A play-off will take place at the end of the season between the W of Div 1 Autumn and Spring Leagues to determine the overall season’s champions (if there are two different teams). The Boardwalk Cup will be presented to the Cornwall Squash Champions at the AGM.

Hospitality

Clubs must have adequate changing facilities and should provide one meal per visiting player.

Prizes

Trophies for winning teams will be presented at Christmas for the Autumn League Winners in Div 1 and 2, and at the AGM for the Spring League Winners, usually held in June.

Player Registration

All players must be a registered member of the club they represent before playing in any match unless they are reserves playing for the first time.

All reserve players must have paid their Cornwall Squash £10 registration fee before participating in their second match.

No Player may play for more than one club in a season. A player, however, who by no fault of his/her own is left without a suitable team to play for may request a ‘transfer’ to another team or club as an extraordinary event. Good reasons must be given. The CS&RA decision will be final.

Teams from a Club who are playing in the same division will be treated as if they are teams from separate Clubs. (Players can only play for one of the teams).

Clubs are required to nominate at least four players per team, but ideally more at the start of each league – Autumn and Spring.

New players registering for a Club during the season will be registered to the division and the team that they first play for.

Playing down

No players are able to play down for a lower team in their club or play for another team in the same division.

Playing up

All players may play up to teams in higher divisions but once a player plays up the 4th time for a team then they are deemed to become a member of the higher team, they will be re-coded accordingly and cannot play down again. If your club has two teams in the higher division, then once a player plays up for one of the teams then they are unable to play for the other team in that division.

Effectively, a player may ‘play up’ 3 times each league before being team tied (3 times in the Autumn League and 3 times in the Spring League).

A player ‘playing up’ must play at the right string for his standard. Squash Levels can be used for this but in any uncertainty captains MUST inform the League Sec or Chairman for agreement. The LM system DOES NOT expect players ‘playing up’ to come in at 4, for example.

Transfers

Players may transfer clubs only during the close season, ie from the completion of the current season up until the end of July. Notification of transfer is to be made in full to the League Secretary. Transfer is permissible for legitimate reasons (eg. loss of a player or two from a team) within a club with multiple teams during the Christmas break between the Autumn & Spring Leagues when captains RENOMINATE using LM. (NB Transfers between clubs: this is to commit players to clubs early, so that clubs can form and enter their teams to the league by the end of July.)

Players may request a transfer between same club teams during the Xmas break ie. Player A played for a NQY/FAL/TRURO team in the Autumn League but for good reasons requests a transfer to another NQY/FAL/TRURO team in the break between leagues. Team captains can do this via the renomination process with our LM system.

Ranking Order

With our League Master system team captains must NOMINATE their playing order at the start of each league – Autumn and Spring. This playing order becomes rigidly fixed from that point. Playing out of order is automatically picked up by LM Watchdog.

Players in each team should be nominated to play in order of their ability.

If a ‘reserve’ is a better player than the regulars, he/she must be nominated above them.

Players ‘Playing Up’ from lower division teams from the same club normally come in BELOW the playing order of the regular team ie. at 4. However, some players ‘playing up’ with higher squash levels need to be nominated above lower ranked regulars.

Captains MUST contact the League Secretary or Chairman if in any doubt about playing order when reserves are called in.

With LM WATCHDOG team captains and administrators will receive automated email alerts if any team plays out of nominated order and penalties will be incurred. A player who plays in the wrong ranking order will forfeit their result, and a walkover will be awarded to their opponent, along with the rubbers below it if this is fair. However, if those below were in the correct order their results will stand. The Committee’s decision is final.

Ranking Challenges

Challenge matches which are marked by a neutral and recognised player may have the result entered into SQUASH LEVELS for ranking purpose. Players must both agree to this before playing their challenge match.

Any player (even unranked) can issue a challenge against a higher ranked player at any time of year, the match should be played on a mutually agreed venue and date, preferably within 14 days of the challenge.

You cannot play a challenge match against the same person more than once in any calendar month.

Challenges outside of the league season may be declined, but refusal to play an ‘in-season’ challenge will be regarded as a 3-0 loss.

Matches

All matches will be played in a good sporting atmosphere both on and off court and according to the Rules of Squash as laid out by England Squash & Racketball.

All games are to be played to 15 points.

Matches will consist of four rubbers – the best of five games.

All matches should be played on the dates set out on the published fixtures.

Teams should be ready to play at the scheduled start time.

The order of play is normally 4-3-2-1 BUT this is flexible if both captains agree. It shouldn’t be the case that ones always play last. Players should be ready to play each rubber.

Each home team must provide a competent marker for at least three of the rubbers and the away team for one. For finals and ‘decider’ matches neutral markers will be needed.

Players must observe England Squash Rules with regard to conduct.

Spectators (all watching) must not interfere with the marking of matches nor contribute negatively to the overall atmosphere. A marker can request that spectators infringing this rule should remove themselves immediately.

Brand new, Dunlop Pro, balls (black) will be supplied by the home team and should be consistent throughout the evening. Double yellow dot balls will be used unless the on-court temperature is below 15°C (59°F) when single yellow dot balls may be used, if agreed by both captains prior to the start of the match.

Match Results

If an ineligible player plays a match, that string and all the strings below are declared void and three points per string are awarded to the opposing team.

The winner of the match is determined by the number of rubbers won.

Each game won is a point to that side. A bonus of three points is awarded to the winning team.

In the event of a rubber tie, the number of games will be taken into account. In the event of a games tie, there will be a POINTS COUNT-BACK. In the event of a points count-back tie, the match shall be deemed a draw and no bonus shall be awarded.

Postponements

The non availability of players is NOT considered to be reasonable grounds for postponing a fixture. The other team should insist that the fixture be played on the prearranged date and the team in difficulties must play or concede the fixture. In VERY exceptional circumstances, and if both captains agree, a fixture may be postponed and played at an agreed later date.

A good reason for postponement must be given to the CCSRA administrators of LM. They must be given a suitable rearrangement date to enter into the management system at the time of postponement, and before the original date.

The Committee’s decision will be final when captains cannot agree on a postponement.

Results Submission

The home team should provide scoring materials for each fixture.

Team Captains should enter their players’ full names on the score sheet before the start of play. This can be done online.

Both team captains are required to take a note of the scores at the end of the fixture.

All matches must be played and results submitted by the HOME TEAM CAPTAIN and verified (if required) by the VISITING TEAM CAPTAIN – via email. This must take place within the timescale of 3 whole days or 5 penalty points will be deducted from the HOME TEAM.

In other exceptional circumstances the CCSRA Committee may penalise teams deemed to be abusing the results submission system.

Walkovers

Fifteen points will be awarded to the team claiming a WALKOVER, four points will be deducted from the defaulting team.

Teams claiming walkovers must put their case to the League Secretary within 48 hours of the fixture date, unless the walkover is mutually agreed.

Should a team have two walkovers awarded against it, suspension from the league may follow. The CCSRA decision will be final.

Jurisdiction

The League Secretary/Chairman shall have the final word on all matters relating to the above rules.

Disputes should be emailed to the League Secretary for further discussion.

League rules override all matters even if both captains on the night agree to the contrary.

Please note that these updated main rules are enforced automatically by the LM system using WATCHDOG.

Additional Competition Rules

Inter-Club Competitions

A knockout competition will occur at the end of the season, with the structure depending on team or club numbers.

These are known as the PAWLE CUP & HINE PLATE.

Players must have appeared in two or more league games in current season for one or more of their club teams.

Matches are 5 v 5 unless permission is granted otherwise as can be the case for earlier rounds.

Results are entered into LM in the same way but in the knock-out cup section.

The inter club tournaments must be played within the timescales laid out by the organiser, this usually occurring throughout April so that the finals can be played on SUPER SATURDAY early in May.